The African National Congress under the leadership of President Zuma today stamped its authority by suspending the ANC Youth League executive.

Julius Malema the most controversial African National Congress Youth League leader has been suspended from the party for five years for provoking divisions within the ruling party and bringing the organisation into disrepute.

Malema popularly know for his reckless statements especially with the one he made in the media advocating for regime change in Botswana had his other executive members also receiving suspensions. Julius and his team recently led marches in Johannesburg, South Africa under the disguise of economic freedom for the poor yet he is living a lavish lifestyle. Just after leading the economic freedom marches Malema flew to Mauritius to attend a friend’s wedding leaving his supporters wondering whether the marches were for a real cause or just a way of diverting attention from hearings which were on going during that time.

Malema’s political career has been marred with allegations of corruption involving the awarding of tenders worth millions of rands.

The suspension of the ANC Youth League executive should be an example to other political parties in the region on how to discipline unruly party members.

If stuck for conversation or just wanting to start a spirited discussion with complete strangers, just say “ZESA yanyanya!” (in English “ZESA has taken it too far!), and instantly, you’ll all begin to sound as unified as though you had known each other for years.

The issue of power supply is one of the few issues, which does not discriminate. All across the country, rural and urban, high density and low, new neighbourhood and old, ZESA continues with the indiscriminate power cuts. Whether one has a generator or inverter, gas or paraffin stove or firewood, we are all feeling the pinch of the incessant power outages.

Short of solar power, all the alternatives to ZESA electricity are so dangerous. In the past month, I have heard of at least 5 separate incidents where children have been seriously injured or killed by alternative power sources and fuels. One child got burnt by a fallen candle, while another’s eye was burned beyond repair by sparks from a fire lit for cooking and warming bath water. Another child was burnt by hot water from a pot who’s handle suddenly broke, after being weakened by prolonged exposure to the heat of a fire.

I will not even go into the issue of the daylight robbery they call reconnection fees, which in itself is not a one-off fee, as customers also have to “tip” ZESA technicians and pick them up for them to come and reconnect. We have all heard enough of the stories about the Nampower debt and the upgrade of the Hwange sub-station and blah, blah, blah! The question is not why is power supply so bad. No! The question is what are you going to do about it? Maybe it’s time for us as a nation to admit that we are living beyond our means and can no longer afford electrical power. Why not give solar a try ZESA? Apart from the panels, it is FREE!

In an ironic twist in the Gwisai case, the state’s key witness has been exposed as a fake – thanks in part to his Facebook profile.

This story made my night yesterday. I mean surely Rule #1 for a prospective undercover agent: Don’t develop social networking profiles with your real name. And certainly don’t use a picture of yourself!

Zoe Williams writing for the Guardian discusses how many “real” friends most people have in the age of Facebook and Twitter and shares the Portuguese saying, “You have five friends, and the rest is landscape.” More here

With Mining Minister Mpofu boasting about the US$2bn in diamond revenue to be coming Zimbabwe’s way, the Committee for the People’s Charter issued their suggested priorities for this income.

We shared this with our subscribers, and some of them replied with their other top issues to be funded.

Note how ZESA tops the list for many – even before today’s electricity outage.

Fertilizer must be subsidized and Tokwe Mkosi dam must be completed

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I am not sure whether it was by design or error that you left out the emotive issue of electricity on your list of priority areas when most people are affected on a daily basis and we cannot sue ZESA for damage to electrical appliances caused by power outages. Government could also do well to establish a benefit fund for the disabled and dualise the Harare-Mutare highway.

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The need to regularize the hap hazard agric in farms that are producing below or nothing. Proceeds from diamonds can be channeled to enhance our agriculture by way of making the land allocation transparency and supporting the farmers to grow what is important and relevant than what fetches $ in the international market. Equitable distribution of these resources in the entire region is also important.

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Priority 8 – Subsidizing/make affordable rural electricity bill rates for rural institutions/entities such as rural shops which are billed commercial rates same as OK /TM supermarkets. Whereas rural businesses only generate income once a year on Christmas Day!

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One cannot underestimate the need for effective checks and balances when it come to the whole process of Diamond mining, processing, selling and accounting for the proceeds. Loose ends will breed chances of funds misappropriation. On the dualisation of roads, I suggest that the other major roads should be dualised  for at least up to twenty kilometers  from the city centre in order to enable free flow of vehicle in and out of the city centre.

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Please add item no.8 as follows: Electricity generation (Whether Zesa re-capitalization or new players) We cannot carry on like this.

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Yes more MUST go into education. School fees are preposterous. No normal person can afford them only the CROOKS. Also how much longer must we put up with credits and vouchers in supermarkets for change. It is an infringement of all human rights. Why don’t we all get up and protest! What is wrong with us. The day of reckoning must come soon.

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Yes! Thank you so much for outlining the recommendations which government should follow in as far as the distribution of wealth derived from natural resources is concerned, especially the controversial Marange diamonds. It is my understanding that youths from within & surrounding areas are not being considered for employment because they are MDC – by virtue of that area being an MDC strong-hold and that is most unfortunate and unfair.  I recommend that CPC look into that as well and there must be a total redress to the issue.

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They must also use the money to boost public busses (zupco) and we also ZBC to improve its standards for televisions since more than 60% of  country hav poor signals and the second tv is only for Harare. And th government must also improve the minimum wages to a better level.

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A fraction should be directed towards improvement of civil service salaries and working conditions.

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Other budget considerations for Minister Biti for 2012 Financial year

1. Bulawayo-kezi-Mpoengs Border Road  and Maphisa-Tshelanyemba-Mambale border roads need upgrading (all weather road)

2. Bulawayo-Nkayi  and Nkayi Lupane-Tsholotsho roads to be upgraded as a matter of agency

3. Re-building of the National Herd (livestock-cattle and goats)

4. Water source development, at least 2 big dams per district in agro-ecological region 5 and accompanying irrigation systems to improve food security

5. Methane gas and related industrial development in Lupane (Mat North)

6. All our roads used to be protected from stray animals, all the fence along roads disappeared during the land reform exercise, I think we need that fence back as a matter of agency to protect both our farmers and motorists (cross country activity)

7. With the climate change issues taking centre stage- there has to investment in that direction in addition to pasture land resuscitation and general environmental management

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I see all these stories in diamonds etc as a layman who has an interest in mining why is there no pressure on the platinum companies. they are making more money than the diamonds the diamonds in marange are alluvial at best conglomerates and not kimberlites so they wont last long.

But the Platinum deposits should be our saviour as a country we know only 5 companies in the world can set up a platinum mining operation but with our deposits and the companies operating them should we not be able to benefit as a nation from that.

Imagine if just the money generated from Platinum mining just goes through our banking system the difference that it will make to our economy right now there is no evidence that we have two big Platinum projects in Zimbabwe.

I am not partisan just a Zimbabwean who is watching from the sidelines. The Platinum and gold deposits are more sustainable. we must ask ourselves why we have dropped out of the top ten gold producers in Africa yet in the 90′s we were number 3 in Africa. On another note why give our iron ore deposits to a company that is just going to shift the iron ore out and process elsewhere we really need to look at all our minerals there, also chrome etc

It is sad that so much attention is focused on diamonds and as civil society people should cover all aspects of mining and see how zim can be helped.

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While I think that the 7 priorities for diamond revenue are very important, there is one glaring omission…the environment. This revenue is from mining, which wreaks havoc on sensitive natural ecosystems and only provides immediate benefits to humans as laid out in the list of priorities. This is somewhat short-sighted and unsustainable, as if we continue to take from the earth without giving back and caring for our natural resources – water, wildlife, trees and soil – we will end up in a much worse situation. So I think another priority should be something like “The restoration of the environment in all areas damaged by mining activities including tree planting and cleaning up toxic waste from mining, together with refurbishment of all National Parks and wilderness areas and investment in anti-poaching and community programs such as CAMPFIRE.” Without give and take, no system survives for very long.